Lars Hopes To Delay Drive Home

When his season ends, Lars Anderson will hop in his car with some books on tape and drive more than 3,000 miles to return home to California.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O’Connor)

Last year, Lars ventured north through Canada before meeting his mother near the end of her 2,700 mile hike up the Pacific Coast Trail.

This year he plans to head south to see his sister in Virginia . . . then west to visit a buddy in Colorado . . . then north to Montana (because he’s never been there before).

The trip is all set – except for the start date.

Lars is obviously hoping for a September call-up to Boston and is currently swinging a hot bat for the PawSox.In Sunday’s doubleheader in Buffalo, the 22-year-old first baseman went 4-for-7 with a double, HR, and 5 RBI.In his last 12 games, Lars is batting .381 (16-for-42) with 5 2B, 1 HR, and 9 RBI.

“I’m closer to where I want to be, but I’m not super-content,” Anderson told me.“There were goals coming into spring training that I feel like I’ve kind of lost sight of and I’m trying to get back to.I’m trying to turn off my brain and let my body do what it’s supposed to do.My body knows how to hit a baseball and my body knows how to catch a baseball, but I think I’ve gotten a little too cerebral over the last few months.I want to get back to a more simplistic way of playing.”

If you combine his stats between Double-A Portland and Pawtucket, Anderson is batting .272 with 34 doubles, 13 HR, and 62 RBI in 117 games (.354 OBP/.456 SLG/.809 OPS).

“I know there have been some ups and downs, but if you put the aggregate numbers together, combining Double-A and Triple-A, we’re talking about an .800 OPS, which is pretty good for a 22-year-old kid,” Red Sox farm director Mike Hazen told Brendan McGair of The Pawtucket Times.“I think he is going through some growing pains that come with figuring out the next level while hitting in the middle of the order.He’s come a long way and will continue to do so. He’s taken a huge step forward defensively . . . I know that the numbers aren’t what people are expecting, but we have a lot of confidence that he’ll be a big league player.”

Still, that didn’t stop the Red Sox from signing 38-year-old Carlos Delgado as a potential September call-up.If Delgado (who is currently on the disabled list with a sore back) looks like he can help Boston down the stretch, it’s hard to imagine the Red Sox promoting two left-handed hitting first basemen.

“I’m not bothered by it,” Anderson said.“I feel like I’ve made huge strides in my game this year, but I’m not content with how I’m playing.I want to force them to call me up to the big leagues.That’s my goal and I understand why they signed Carlos.They’re in the race and they’re trying to cover some holes right now so it’s totally understandable.But I want to force the issue with my performance.”

In other words, he would happily delay his trip to California for a trip to Boston.

* * * * *

Rich Hill is scheduled to start the final game of the Buffalo series on Wednesday, and it will be interesting to see if he’s constantly looking up at the seagulls that circle the field in search of food at Coca-Cola Field.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O’Connor)

Last season while pitching for Norfolk, Hill was involved in a possible “first” in baseball history:A bird poop delay.

“That was interesting,” Hill said.“It was last year during a rehab stint and I think I had a no-hitter going around the 5th inning.All of a sudden a bird swooped down and crapped on my head.It went down my hat and on to my shoe and I was like, ‘Where did that come from?’I walked toward the dugout and the trainer came out and gave me a towel so I could wipe it off.”

Let the record show that Rich tossed 6 scoreless innings in a 3-1 victory over the Bisons.

On Monday, Ramon Ramirez was named the IL Pitcher of the Week after wins over Lehigh Valley and Buffalo (2 ER in 12 IP).

(photo courtesy of Louriann Mardo-Zayat)

In the opener of Sunday’s doubleheader, Ramirez became the 2nd PawSox pitcher to toss a complete game in 2010, as he beat the Bisons 7-2 in a 7-inning game.Adam Mills was credited with a CG in a rain-shortened loss to Charlotte on June 3rd (5 IP).Ramirez was one out from tossing the first shutout of his 10-year pro career before allowing a 2-run HR to Buffalo’s J.R. House.Ramon retired the next batter to finish his second career CG and first since 2006.

* * * * *

It was a surf and turf Sunday in Buffalo.

Pawtucket owner Ben Mondor treated the team to a steak and lobster dinner in the clubhouse following the doubleheader sweep in Buffalo.The feast was planned in advance and was not a reward for taking a pair of games from the Bisons.It was the third expensive dinner that the PawSox owner has treated the team to on the road this season.

And yes, the radio guys were included.Thanks boss!

* * * * *

The PawSox will look for their 3rd straight win over the Bisons on Monday night at 7:05.I hope you’ll join us for radio coverage beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 on the PawSox radio network and pawsox.com.

I’d love to hear from you.Please take a moment to tell me who you are and where you’re from in the comments section or you can e-mail me at dhoard@pawsox.com.

About Me

I began writing this blog when I was a broadcaster for the Pawtucket Red Sox before leaving the team at the end of the 2011 season to become the radio voice of the Cincinnati Bengals. I am also the radio play-by-play announcer for University of Cincinnati football and basketball. Thanks to all of you who began reading this blog for content about Red Sox prospects. I will always cherish my time with the PawSox.
I still plan to write about baseball and will post all of my blog entries about the Bengals and Bearcats on this blog as well. I welcome your questions and/or comments at Dan.Hoard@Bengals.NFL.Net

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